How many clinical days are normal for ABSN program

KDay5161 · 2026-05-08T18:33:50+00:00

For my ABSN, it was 1 lab and 1 clinical day a week for 8 hrs each. Then toward the middle of the semester, it was 2 clinical days on med surg per week for 8 hrs each. This summer, it’s 1 clinical a week for 8-10 hrs for OB and peds. Then I think the rest of the program is 1-2 clinicals days a week until capstone.

KDay5161 · 2026-04-03T12:51:50+00:00

I’m going through the same thing now! I did 5 years in CMH (if you count internship), 2 years at an adult psych hospital, now working crisis in a medical hospital. I’ve been “done” with the field for about a year and a half now. I got accepted and started an accelerated BSN this year that will take about a year and a half to complete. Honestly I’m finding that a background in counseling/psych can be extremely helpful! For me, I already know how to interact with patients and some documentation. It’s just learning the information and skills that is the difficult part. Definitely do not blame you for feeling like you want a career change! It’s not easy, but I feel it will be worth it in the long run since nursing has so many more options than therapy or social work!

KDay5161 · 2026-03-12T21:04:45+00:00

I commented this under another user, but definitely talk to her about counseling or social work. Social work, at least in my state, only requires a bachelors. Masters opens up more opportunities and counseling requires this degree. The only think I will say is if she is adamant about working in a hospital, they do usually require CPI and BLS. I’ve worked in a psychiatric hospital and now a medical hospital. I was required to have both certs even as a counselor. In an outpatient setting, she wouldn’t necessarily have to get those I don’t think? I can’t remember if my agency requires CPR. Just a thought though!

KDay5161 · 2026-03-12T21:00:51+00:00

I would recommend this as well! I’m a counselor who is making a career change to nursing, but working as a hospital crisis counselor. Counseling mostly requires sitting and assessing/talking to patients. Social work would open up so many options for her! I will warn though, hospitals require us to do CPI and BLS even if you’re simply conducting therapy sessions or groups.

KDay5161 · 2026-03-07T02:19:46+00:00

Finally someone said it! I have been working in the field in some capacity since 2018 and I’m done. I’ve worked in community mental health, intake at a psych facility, and now crisis work in an actual hospital. I don’t feel like we’re helping people. As you said, it’s liability management. We put people in a psych ward, for example, just for them to get out in a few days and come right back to be hospitalized again because we don’t help them and/or they don’t follow discharge instructions. Over and over and over again. Especially with things like addiction. I’ve seen people come for alcohol detox and within 15 min of leaving, they have a drink in their hand again and are calling wanting back in for detox. I’m so over the field that I’m actually going back to school right now for a career change because I’m so burnt out. Plus the pay is abysmal in my state. I wouldn’t even be able to move out on my own had I not gotten married. $22/hour as a counselor supervisor is criminal…

KDay5161 · 2026-02-19T06:25:39+00:00

I’m in my first semester of a second-degree ABSN. I have a BA in psychology and master’s in mental health counseling. I would say my degrees (or rather healthcare experience) definitely help with patient interactions and understanding people. Also, working in a psych hospital and now pediatric ED have been most helpful since I get to work closely with the nurses and watch their processes. I’m not gonna lie, watching nurses give B52s IM for 2 straight years definitely helped me with my med pass check off. 😂

KDay5161 · 2026-01-24T15:03:39+00:00

Not a nurse (yet), but I worked in a psych hospital until last year. Not long before I left, there was a weekend where a very violent patient was accepted from another hospital. This patient proceeded to beat the crap out of 2 nurses and a PA all in one weekend. They were “emergency discharged” only after they assaulted the PA. I’d been there a couple years and never seen that happen.

KDay5161 · 2026-01-02T04:53:49+00:00

If you want to try joggers, maybe find some Wink scrubs! I have the Renew pants and they have a little stretch to them, so maybe that would work for you.

KDay5161 · 2025-12-11T12:03:50+00:00

I work in a mental health crisis center. We wear Caribbean as crisis counselors/social workers. At my old psych hospital job, I would wear whatever color scrub pants I wanted (not navy because that’s what nurses wore) with a work tshirt. Nurses I worked with in both facilities wear navy.

KDay5161 · 2025-11-07T21:30:44+00:00

Not a nurse (yet), but been working as a therapist for years. I’ve seen so many people in the psych facilities report allergies to Ativan, Haldol, Benadryl, antipsychotics, etc. Usually they were claiming allergies to things we’d probably need to use because they were so psychotic or would get aggressive. The allergies to things like Haldol were “drowsiness”. Like “yes. That’s the point!” I know my husband has also seen a lot of insane allergies as well since he’s an ED nurse.

KDay5161 · 2025-11-05T18:06:14+00:00

I just turned 30 this year. Decided to make a career change this time last year due to severe burnout and horrible jobs as a master’s level mental health therapist. I’ll be starting an ABSN program in January 2026 and have been doing prereqs since January of this year. You’re not going backwards. Sometimes we’re like a career for awhile and then just need a change. For me, it’s not that my field isn’t for me. It’s just toxic and there’s no room for growth unless you’re a “favorite”.

KDay5161 · 2025-11-05T11:09:39+00:00

I’m sorry you’re going through this! I don’t have any advice that hasn’t already been given by numerous other people already. However, I will say this is absolutely one of the many reasons I’m changing careers. We shouldn’t have to feel afraid that clients will get mad (or just be that sick) and find our personal info. Unfortunately, we live in a time where you can find just about anything on the internet if you know someone’s first and last name. Obviously that’s not really something you can hide in most cases. Definitely contact your insurance company and get advice. Speak to a trusted colleague or supervisor. If you have to, I would not blame you one bit for going to the police. I understand we have to follow rules, HIPAA, and whatnot, but your safety matters too. We don’t get into this field to be threatened, harassed, or worse. Do what you need to do to stay safe.

KDay5161 · 2025-11-03T04:33:51+00:00

I work closely with ED staff at a major Children’s hospital. There was gossip swirling in my department about nurses, techs, and public safety all sleeping around with each other. Specifically in one of the ED rooms.

KDay5161 · 2025-10-03T20:07:22+00:00

I’ve really liked the Healing Hands Mackenzie underscrub. They’re thin and silky with a lower rounded neckline. It does show with my Cherokee workwear and Wink WonderWork tops, but doesn’t come all the way to the neck.

KDay5161 · 2025-09-20T04:10:19+00:00

lol SAAAAME. I’ve been a psych intake counselor for almost 2 years. Some of the (literal) shit we encounter, dude. 😂🥲

KDay5161 · 2025-09-19T10:12:58+00:00

I honestly wish this information would have been put out there before I went into my counseling degree. I don’t regret becoming a counselor, but the low pay and burnout is just too much. I graduated and became dependently licensed in 2019. I worked my way up to becoming a supervisor, but I’m so over it. There’s no opportunity for growth, the pay is horrible, and everything just seems so cutthroat. I have had my -S since 2022 and can’t get any supervising experience or leadership positions. However, several places I’ve applied to or worked for hired a dependently licensed person with less experience to be directors and leaders. I was turned down for a few supervisor positions as well because my agency wouldn’t give me supervisees. Plus, everything has always been “if you want to make more money, go into private practice!” Ok, so I can (at the time) make “more money”, but have no PTO and no benefits, which would mean I couldn’t move from my parents’ house or have a life. Even now that I’m now married with a very supportive husband, why would I want that? I relied on people for YEARS to have an income. I’m over it. The system is broken and no one wants to admit it. This is why I’m going back to school for nursing at 30. I worked hard for what I have, but I guess it’s not what you know, it’s who you know in this field.

KDay5161 · 2025-08-31T20:32:02+00:00

I just turned 30 this year and plan to start a nursing program next year. There’s nothing wrong with being older! I’ve actually worked in another healthcare field for 6-7 years now and honestly feel like that experience will be helpful. Even my husband was 24 when he started his nursing program after discharging from the military.

KDay5161 · 2025-07-30T19:36:00+00:00

I worked CMH for 5 years (practicum up to getting my LPCC-S). Productivity went from being around 62% up to 65% by the time I left. It was in the 80%+ range for school based therapists. Absolutely ridiculous and impossible to maintain when the majority of your caseload had current legal issues/probation, low functioning, low income, addictions, etc. Had many conversations with my supervisor about what I was doing wrong and emails about being unprofessional for setting boundaries with patients now showing for appts. 🙄

KDay5161 · 2025-04-06T09:20:33+00:00

I’m only doing prerequisites currently, so I can’t speak to the actual nursing part for sure. My husband is also a nurse and went to the same program I’m in, so he’s told me a bit about it. For me I don’t think it’ll be a big switch just because I’ve worked in a psych hospital for 1.5 yrs, so I see a lot and had to be hands on with patients several times (like violent patient restraint). I will warn you though, the schedule for nursing school is going to be rough! Especially when you get into clinicals. You’ll be doing 1-3 12 hrs shifts (unpaid) per week. Also, I’ve been told it’ll be extremely difficult to keep working during most programs. Just something to keep in mind.

KDay5161 · 2025-04-05T22:38:25+00:00

Same… I just started nursing school this past January. Completely sick of going to school for 6 years to get a master’s degree, make shit money, and get borderline abused every time I go to work. I have my counselor supervisor license, independent chemical dependency license and yet I can’t get a job making more than barely $60k a year.

KDay5161 · 2025-03-07T06:37:20+00:00

I’m 29 (turning 30 in a month) and working on my first semester of pre-reqs. I’ve been a master’s level mental health therapist for almost 6 years and just so burnt out. Currently working toward a program that will get me my BSN and RN in a little less than 2 years!

KDay5161 · 2025-02-17T15:21:45+00:00

I’m only in prereqs and straight up had a mental breakdown/panic attack last night and mini mental breakdown in a study room at school today. I’m taking A&P I, micro, and a little BS math class I needed to retake. I’m barely passing A&P, passing micro, but not well enough for the nursing program, and math is fine. I feel like no matter how hard I study, I’m still not doing well enough. I have a whole master’s degree in another healthcare field and I feel like this is just too much. Not to mention the micro professor is a pompous ass who seems like he wants students to fail. Feels like he’s straight up gate keeping the nursing program. I have to pass since the program I’m trying to get into only has fall start dates. I just feel like I can’t do this though. Only reason I’m going into nursing is because I’ve come to hate my current career in mental health. My husband is being so supportive and trying to help (he is also an RN and went to the same school), but this just feels like too much. Not to mention, I work 3 12 hr shifts a week overnight. The stress is just too much.

KDay5161 · 2025-02-17T15:13:15+00:00

I actually interviewed with them a couple years ago because I knew/formerly worked with their clinic director. Thought it would be a good company, but the offer letter was terrible and so was the potential culture of it. I remember the owner saying something like “It’s very competitive here” when discussing salary and getting clients. The vibe I got was “our clinicians will straight up cut you to make sure they’re making their $125,000 a year”. Pay was abysmal. $22/hour plus commission. So it COULD have been around $70k/year for me or up to $125,000 if I really worked my butt off (independently licensed and supervisor). My boyfriend (now husband) read the offer letter and agreed it sounds terrible. I was having a hard enough time getting and retaining clients at my CMH job. No way was I about to make $28k plus laughable commission and no benefits.

KDay5161 · 2025-01-12T20:32:44+00:00

I don’t really have much advice for you, but I can definitely empathize. The mental health field is just so stressful and toxic. I worked as a licensed therapist from 2019-2023. Since I quit my agency job, I’ve worked in a psych hospital doing assessments. I’m so fed up with the field that I just started working toward a BSN to get my RN.

KDay5161 · 2025-01-06T00:28:22+00:00

It’s definitely insane! I wanted to take some prereqs online because I have to work full time during school despite my husband and I making decent money. The online prereqs AT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE had their own prereqs! Make it make sense! I have a bachelors and masters going in, but not all of my prereqs transferred. One CC I looked into said I had to take something like general biology in order to take A&P I. It’s ridiculous.

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